"Lee Michaels" wrote in message
...

"diggerop" wrote

It was my first attempt at wooddorking. Possibly slightly over engineered
: )

It is solid, pretty and functional. You can't ask for more than that.





Thank you Lee. Solid and functional was the original intention, in which it
happened to succeed. If it's thought to be pretty, that is an accidental
result of the material I had available at the time.

The main criteria when I built it was to have a bench that I could transport
easily to and from the boatyard. That meant it either had to be lightweight,
(which would not serve the purpose,) or I had to be able to dismantle and
re-assemble it while maintaining its structural integrity. - Hence the
dowels and truss rods. (An idea I saw used on an old piece of farm equipment
when I was a kid.)
Over the years it was moved innumerable times, although I now have no need
to do that.

The locking device for the leg vise also came from the farm. We used
windmills to pump water up from underground, from depths as much as 160
feet. Periodically we would have to replace the galvanised pipes, which were
in 20 foot lengths. The pinch block was placed over the pipe and and the
column was winched up the first 20 feet. The winch tension was released and
the pinch block secured the column while we unscrewed the first length, then
the process was repeated. Never ever saw the pipe slip.

Being a "hayseed" has served me well at times. : )


Diggerop